Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US black) smartly, smoothly.

1834		‘Jack Downing’ Andrew Jackson xii: And now I’m near an eend, and i guess as how I’ve done it pretty slick.
1837		‘Plunder Creek’ in Bentley’s Misc. Feb. 123: I rather guess now the ’squire is to home, and that I must see him right slick away at once.
1840		R. Barham ‘Lay of St. Cuthbert’ in Ingoldsby Legends (1842) 234: It’s supposed by this trick / He bamboozled Old Nick, / And slipped through his fingers remarkably ‘slick’.
1847		Bell’s Life in Sydney 1 May 3/2: A spit they made of a jagged stick / With which they trussed the Quaker ‘slick’.
1848		Thackeray Vanity Fair I 70: This way, men; if they screak, out with your snickers and slick!
c.1850		F.M. Whitcher Widow Bedott Papers (1883) 41: The Reverend Doctor Fogo’s wife had hern made up with three wide cross-grained pieces round the skirt. Jingo! they sot it off slick.
1860		T. Haliburton Season Ticket 31: Senator and I are going right slick off to Kilarney, like a streak of greased lightning.
1872		‘Greeley, Greeley, Hallelujahd’ in Farmer of Chappaqua Songster 74: Cincinnati finished him, they fixed him pretty slick.
1874		Wichita City Eagle 29 Oct. in Miller & Snell Why the West was Wild 147: It is amusing to hear Moser tell how slick the boys did work.
1879		Eve. Chronicle (Virginia City) 10 June in M. Lewis Mining Frontier (1967) 202: Everythin’ worked slick.
1888		‘’Arry on Marriage’ in Punch 29 Sept. 156/1: Life goes on nutty and nice / And the ochre slings in pooty slick.
1888		H. King Savage London 203: Mother Doo, I’ll trouble yer to feed him slick off.
1894		‘Price Warung’ Tales of the Early Days 192: W’en fellers, espeshally younkers, go like that, arter kissin’ of Madame Cat-o’-nine-tails — w’y, mem. they’s go to the bad, slick!
1910		‘Freighting From Wilcox to Globe’ in Lingenfelter et al. Songs of the Amer. West (1968) 64: No one can detect me / I’ve got it down so slick.
1915		T. McNamara Us Boys 11 Mar. [synd. cartoon strip] I worked that slick! I made him him think it’s a great job bein’ manager.
1934		J. Franklyn This Gutter Life 102: The fact is, we’re going to be raided; didn’t you see how slick I chucked ’em out to-night?
1945		R.L. Bellem ‘Poison Payoff’ Hollywood Detective Dec. 🌐 I’ve got a hunch this is going to work out pretty slick.
1945		‘Five o’clock in the Morning’ in Mess Songs & Rhymes of the RAAF 34: They rang up the ambulance mighty slick.
a.1963		‘The Fall’ in D. Wepman et al. Life (1976) 86: Talking all slick with all that bullshit / Motherfucker, you ain’t no man.
1977		J. Sayles Union Dues (1978) 87: Pretend that I just slick-talked you into comin out with me.
1991		De La Soul ‘African Connection’ 🎵 More brothers come about, try to scheme slick / But the Native Tongue's thick / Lick ’em real good.
1999		‘Master Pimp’ Pimp’s Rap 3: They were dressed down in leather and were talking slick out the side of their necks.